This new cafe in Japan is exclusively for female geeks

No fake geek boys allowed

In Japan, an Otaku is a term used to describe someone with obsessive interests, usually in the areas of manga or anime. Like ‘nerd’ or ‘geek’ the term Otaku hasn’t always had the most positive connotations, but in recent times Otaku culture has seen itself surge in popularity, much like geek culture, and various retail outlets and cafes which cater to Otaku hobbies have sprung up. It’s more common for men to be associated with the term Otaku and so often these places are dominated by male fans, creating an atmosphere that is probably less appealing to female Otaku. Like if certain corners of the internet opened their own shops, I imagine.

To help women find somewhere to indulge their geeky hobbies in a welcoming environment without feeling self-conscious, a cafe which caters to only female Otaku has opened recently in Osaka. It’s called Ataraxia Cafe, and although there’s no membership fee required to enter, you do have to take a test to prove that you’re Otaku enough to be there and be over the age of 18. If you pass the test, you’ll be allowed entry into what sounds like a total haven.

There’s free WiFi, bookshelves filled with manga and magazines, work stations with sewing machines and mannequins where cosplayers can work on their costumes, a cosplay wig trimming service, and plenty of power outlets for keeping laptops and portable gaming devices fully charged. Plus, you can order food and drink to keep you going through whatever geeky activity you decide to take up that day. Why would you ever leave?

If you’re able to read Japanese and you’d love to know if you’d pass the Otaku test, you can find it here and visit the website here.